FILE IMAGE
The ISIS-linked News Agency Amaq claimed on Wednesday that 32 Syrian soldiers have been killed as a result of an ISIS attackon Syrian Arab Army (SAA) positions east of Salamya town in the eastern Hama countryside.
According to Amaq, ISIS fighters captured 6 SAA checkpoints near Al-Mufakr village and a SAA HQ in the Olive Press in the area. During the attack, ISIS fighters captured a tank, two bulldozers, two 23mm guns, two cars loaded with ammunition and several vehicles.
Opposition sources claimed that ISIS also attacked an SAA position south of Ithryia with a VBIED, killing 30 Syrian soldiers, but pro-government sources denied this claims. Furthermore, ISIS did not announce any attack on SAA south of Ithryia.
According to pro-government sources, the Russian Aerospace Forces have carried out dozens of air strikes on ISIS positions in Aqirbat town and the villages of Qulayb al-Thawr, Salba, Al-Hardana and Janah al-Albawi in the eastern Hama countryside. The sources confirmed that SAA will try to advance towards the ISIS-held town of Uqayrabat again. The SAA will try to use the increased pressure faced by ISIS in the eastern part of Homs province and in the southern part of Raqqah province.
I hope SAA was able to reverse the gains made if true. BTW is that an SAA or daesh tank up there?
If its true it was probably more a raid then an actual counter offensive.
None them can conduct true counter offences or raids , ISIS is manpower short and even threatens to put them on the frontlines right away if they don’t show up, this is the same recruiting tactics by the SDF.
That’s a SAA tank. Unlikely to find that top mounted machine gun on an ISUS tank.
im by far no warfare specialist but how are those surprise raids possible? dont they have scouts, drones in the air and other high tech from russia to spot enemy movements? and why they dont just deploy some attack helicopters in 10-15 minutes range from their frontlines so they get close air support immediately after the ISIS raid started? spot large enemy movement – hold them in place or retreat while waiting for helicopters – kill them.
Frontline is very long, manpower is limited, and majority of forces must be concentrated in the areas where the advance is ongoing. Surprise raids like this are always possible, and also always uncapable of changing anything. Even the losses are smaller than the ones suffered in the main areas of engagement. They basicaly do what you said. Retreat, wait for reinforcements, counterattack and take positions back. Of course, this doesn’t stop ISIS from releasing propaganda footage of inital retreat and enormous loot consisting of two missiles, three machine guns and a decommissioned tank.
I just wonder…How can ISIS capture a tank ? (believing ISIS). Well, (a) it could be that the tank was alone without anybody to take care of it, (b) it could be that the soldiers just tan away when they see the ISIS coming, (c) or it could be that ISIS attack is so fast that they killed the soldiers and took the tank. I just only hope that the situation (b) (like happened at Palmyra) is not happening.